ute or two of lazy
comfort, he resumed. "You are not ambitious, my Thelma! You don't seem
to care whether your husband distinguishes himself in the 'Ouse,' as our
friend the brewer calls it, or not. In fact, I don't believe you care
for anything save--love! Am I not right, my wife?"

A wave of rosy color flushed her transparent skin, and her eyes filled
with an earnest, almost pathetic languor.

"Surely of all things in the world," she said in a low tone,--"Love is
best?"

To this he made prompt answer, though not in words--his lips conversed
with hers, in that strange, sweet language which, though unwritten, is
everywhere comprehensible,--and then they left their shady resting-place
and sauntered homeward hand in hand through the warm fields fragrant
with wild thyme and clover.

Many happy days passed thus with these lovers--for lovers they still
were. Marriage had for once fulfilled its real and sacred meaning--it
had set Love free from restraint, and had opened all the gateways of the
only earthly paradise human hearts shall ever know,--the paradise of
perfect union and absolute sympathy with the one thing beloved on this
side eternity.

The golden hours fled by all too rapidly,--and towards the close of
August there came an interruption to their felicity. Courtesy had
compelled Bruce-Errington and his wife to invite a few friends down to
visit them at the Manor before the glory of the summer-time was
past,--and first among the guests came Lord and Lady Winsleigh and their
bright boy, Ernest. Her ladyship's maid, Louise Renaud, of course,
accompanied her ladyship,--and Briggs was also to the fore in the
capacity of Lord Winsleigh's personal attendant. After these, George
Lorimer arrived--he had avoided the Erringtons all the season,--but he
could not very well refuse the pressing invitation now given him without
seeming churlish,--then came Beau Lovelace, for a few days only, as with
the commencement of September he would be off as usual to his villa on
the Lago di Como. Sir Francis Lennox, too, made his appearance
frequently in a casual sort of way--he "ran down," to use his own
expression, now and then, and made himself very agreeable, especially to
men, by whom he was well liked for his invariable good-humor and
extraordinary proficiency in all sports and games of skill. Another
welcome visitor was Pierre Duprez, lively and sparkling as ever,--he
came from Paris to pass a fortnight with his "cher Phil-eep,"